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Police intend to press manslaughter charges against the dealer who supplied 20-year-old and friends with Ecstasy

A 20-year-old woman collapsed and died after taking Ecstasy at a notorious 'drug supermarket' nightclub early yesterday.

It is believed to be the first time a Hong Kong clubber has gone into shock and died so quickly after consuming the party drug.

Last night senior investigators said they intended to press manslaughter charges against the dealer who supplied the woman and her friends. It is believed such a move would be unprecedented for Hong Kong.

One high-ranking officer said police were determined to send a strong message to the traffickers who operate 'out of notorious nightclubs selling drugs to teenagers and youths like they are in a drug supermarket'.

Within minutes of taking two Ecstasy tablets in the toilet of the Cyber8 disco in Tsim Sha Tsui, the woman, surnamed Ho, a shop assistant from Mongkok, collapsed while dancing, friends said.

Her parents were too shocked to talk publicly about the tragedy yesterday. They said she was their only daughter.

After partying at other bars earlier in the night, Ho arrived with several work colleagues at the Nathan Road disco at about 2.45am to buy drugs and dance, friends said.

One of her male colleagues bought Ecstasy for the group from a known dealer inside the bar.

Ho went into the toilet, took both pills and joined her friends on the dance floor. She quickly became sick and fell unconscious.

Police officers arrived and sent her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but she was certified dead at 3.25am. Initial reports indicate she died of an overdose. A postmortem examination will be conducted tomorrow.

Commissioner for Narcotics Rosanna Ure Lui Hang-sai said: 'This tragic incident is a timely reminder that drugs kill. We have all along emphasised the serious harmful effects of drug abuse.'

Assistant District Commander (Crime) Mike Howard, of Yau Tsim District, said the nightclub was 'notorious' as a haven for drug dealers and was a regular target of drug raids and undercover operations.

He appealed to the public to provide information on the case.

Police were last night questioning the friends of the victim but no one has been charged yet.

Briton Lisa Jane O'Riordan, 23, became Hong Kong's first Ecstasy victim in March 1996. She went to bed after nightclubbing in Lan Kwai Fong and never woke up. Traces of the drug were found in her bloodstream.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau said: 'Ecstasy is not only a problem in Hong Kong but also a cause for concern throughout the world.

'The risk of mortality or substantial morbidity, including the potential for long-term mental disorders make health consequences of Ecstasy use significant. Therefore, the government has put much efforts in preventive education on the harmful effects of drugs.'



Woman dies after taking drugs in nightclub